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HP TCP/IP Finger Service Vulnerability

A security vulnerability has been reported, affecting all recent versions of the HP TCP/IP Services for OpenVMS product. Only systems where the Finger service is enabled are at risk. The service is disabled by default, and many HP customers choose to leave it that way, either because they do not require Finger or because they view the Finger service itself as a threat to security. Because the purpose and intent of Finger is to disclose information about who is using your system and what they are doing, HP recommends that Finger be disabled in all but the most isolated and friendly network environments.

If Finger is already disabled on your system, or you choose to disable it now, no further action is needed to protect yourself from this vulnerability. In order to disable the service, execute the TCPIP$CONFIG.COM utility, select the Server Components menu (choice 3), and then select Finger (choice 4).

For those who wish to continue using Finger, several options are available. The Finger client can continue to be used, with certain limitations, even when the service is not enabled. It is also possible to start the service but immediately deinstall the client image (TCPIP$FINGER.EXE), which is sufficient to protect against the reported vulnerability on systems prior to OpenVMS V8.3, when symbolic link support was introduced.

A final option is to obtain updated images for Finger. New images are available for TCPIP V5.4 ECO 7, V5.5 ECO 3, and V5.6 ECO 2. (The fix is already included in the forthcoming V5.6 ECO 3 kit.) Choose either the Alpha or the Integrity ZIP file, and extract the contents. Copy the appropriate TCPIP$FINGER and TCPIP$FINGER_SERVER images to the SYS$COMMON:[SYSEXE] directory, changing the extension to simply .EXE, and restart the Finger service.

For I64: tcpip_finger.zipexe_i64 (301KB)

For Alpha: tcpip_finger.zipexe_alpha (171KB)

HP TCP/IP DNS cache poisoning vulnerability

Some HP TCP/IP versions contain a DNS cache poisoning vulnerability.

One class of attack against a DNS nameserver is known as a "cache poisoning" attack. The attacker finds a way to introduce forged entries into the cache of a DNS server so that later, when other clients resolve a particular target (usually a host name), they will get the wrong information (usually an IP address). Such attacks have been known for years, along with various improvements in the design of DNS software implementations to resist the attacks. Like much of the industry, HP TCP/IP Services for OpenVMS uses the BIND implementation of DNS, and we thus share both the same vulnerabilities and the same fixes as many UNIX and Linux platforms.

In recent weeks, a new and more dangerous variant on the cache poisoning attack has been announced, receiving a remarkable level of publicity. As usual, OpenVMS shares both the vulnerability and the fix with many other platforms. More information is available from many sources including the US-CERT Vulnerability Note at http://www.kb.cert.org/vuls/id/800113 . As suggested in that note, cryptographic security using DNSsec is a good long-term approach to preventing such attacks, and we continue to support DNSsec on OpenVMS.

Before hastening to obtain and install a patch for this vulnerability, you should determine the extent to which your OpenVMS systems are affected. While systems running the BIND server are possible targets, most systems run only the BIND resolver. If your system is not acting as a nameserver, you do not need this update.

Among systems that do run the BIND server, two ingredients are necessary for a successful attack: the ability for an attacker to reach your system to poison the cache, and consumption of the forged data by other clients. If your nameserver is behind a firewall, that would make it more difficult for an outside attacker to poison its cache. Once poisoned, the success of the attack hinges upon someone else resolving information from that same nameserver. For example, if there are no clients using a particular nameserver other than the OpenVMS system itself, the effect of the attack would be limited to that single host. The nameservers most vulnerable to a cache poisoning attack would be the main servers for a large organization, assuming they were connected directly to the Internet and used by many client hosts within the organization and its customers or affiliates.

We will be including an updated version of this fix in the TCPIP V5.6 ECO 3 kit; that release is expected soon. Meanwhile, customers who urgently need a fix for TCPIP V5.4 ECO 7, V5.5 ECO 3, or V5.6 ECO 2 can obtain a new image here. Choose your target platform (Alpha or Integrity), then copy the self-extracting ZIP file. Once the images are extracted, pick the appropriate one for your version (V5.4, V5.5, or V5.6), and copy it to SYS$COMMON:[SYSEXE]TCPIP$BIND_SERVER.EXE. Restart your BIND server, and you will be running the updated version.

For Integrity: TCPIP_BIND_SERVER.ZIPEXE_I64 (3 MB)

For Alpha: TCPIP_BIND_SERVER.ZIPEXE_ALPHA (3 MB)